Why ‘Take a Deep Breath’ Can Be Terrible Advice
Sometimes relaxation requires starting outside of the body
The field of trauma treatment is rapidly growing, which means that as a trauma-informed strength coach, I spend a lot of time studying different clinical approaches. And as I do, I witness countless yoga teachers, therapists, somatic therapists, massage therapists, and physical therapists telling the stressed out to take a nice deep breath to get grounded. To this I say: STOP! Please do not insist folks take a deep breath.
On the surface, it makes a lot of sense to tell people to take a deep breath. We commonly think of deep breathing as a way to slow down time, our breath, and ultimately our autonomic nervous system. But guess what — lots of people with chronic stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, or complex post-traumatic stress disorder, will find this act at best, damn near impossible, and at worst, triggering.
Constriction in Our Breathing Muscles
If you live with chronic stress or trauma, there is a good chance that you experience constriction in your primary breathing muscle — the diaphragm.
